1. Technical Field
This invention relates to animal food and treat dispensers, specifically to such dispensers that can be operated manually with or without a magazine.
2. Prior Art
As a dog owner I have often thought to myself that there had to be a better way of dispensing dog biscuits than from a cardboard box or a cookie jar. With this in mind I set out to invent a device that could hold a large supply of dog biscuits and then dispense them one at a time in a more convenient and easy manner from a centrally located station.
I also sought a solution to the way that the dog biscuits were being packaged and shipped by the manufacturer to the public, one that would be compatible with the dispenser. Instead of just being dumped in a box in a random fashion I invented a magazine that could be pre-loaded with the dog biscuits and sealed in a plastic sleeve by the manufacturer and then shipped out to the public. With the pre-loaded magazines being compatible with the dispenser, this would make loading and operation of the dispenser simple. Although the method of using the pre-loaded magazines with the dispenser is preferred, the dispenser will operate very well with out one. Without a pre-loaded magazine the loading time is longer and is performed manually.
Inventors have created several types of dispensers for delivering measured quantities of food from a supply receptacle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,893 to Becker (1971) discloses a dispenser using a chamber that coacts with a spring to dispense nuts or other items from a pivotal dispensing operation. This dispenser does not operate with a hand crank or axel and the measuring chamber is suited to nuts or other items. It has a simple pull handle one would use to operate the chamber. The housing used to store the food items keeps them in place in a random fashion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,125 to Gold et al. (1988) discloses a dispenser capable of being operated by a domestic animal. This dispenser sends numerous items through its output chute when actuated by a domestic animal. This is a difficult and expensive dispenser to manufacture and has limited appeal. With my invention the dispenser is like a piece of art that is very pleasing to the eye and can be displayed just about any where. My dispenser displays the dog treats in a uniformed and attractive manner. The dog treats can be viewed at all times to determine the quantity of treats left in the rectangular housing or in the pre-loaded magazines. Numbers are provided on the glass for determining the quantity left. The dispenser is small in size but holds a large quantity of dog biscuits.
International patent WO 88/07324 to Gold (1988) discloses the same spring-biased dispenser mechanism for manually operated animal food dispensing machines as mentioned previously.
3. Objects and Advantages
Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of the animal food and treat dispenser described above, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:                (A) To provide a centrally located fixture in which to store and dispense dog biscuits.        (B) To provide a mechanism in which to dispense dog biscuits one at a time while providing the convenience of no storage boxes.        (C) To provide a rectangular housing unit that displays the dog biscuits in a uniform manner and makes obvious to user the quantity in the dispenser.        (D) To provide a user the added convenience of being able to install pre-loaded magazines directly into the rectangular housing thus eliminating time and effort.        (E) To provide a manufacturer of dog biscuits a means in which to store and ship dog biscuits in a uniformed manner while being encased in a magazine that fits easily into the dispenser.        (F) To provide a manufacturer a cost and space saving means of both storing and shipping dog biscuits through use of magazine.        
Other objects and advantages are to provide a user with the means to continually have a method in which to store and dispense dog biscuits without the constant hassle of reaching into a box for biscuits, while at the same time providing an attractive apparatus for dispensing dog biscuits. For a manufacturer of dog biscuits the cost savings could be immense. Being able to store and ship biscuits in a compact and uniform magazine would save both space and cost.